Taking A Quick Look at the Defense as the Islanders Re-Sign Ty Wishart
By Kevin Schultz | Jul 19, 2012 | 10:51AM
This gives us as good a spot as any to stop and look at what the Islanders' defensive depth looks like coming into next season. Entering the off-season the team only had three NHL defenders signed to contracts (Streit, Hamonic, AMac). That left a lot of room for maneuvering if the team wanted to go in a different direction. Almost three weeks removed from the draft and the start of free agency, things do look a bit different. Here's what the NHL lineup could look like:
Streit - Visnovsky
Hamonic - Macdonald
Carkner - ?
?
Right now the Islanders defense is mostly set with the 6th and possible 7th spots up for grabs at camp, in my opinion. That will likely be left for a battle between Donovan, Ness and de Haan whom all got a call up last year. In addition to that trio, the Islanders also have Marc Cantin, Jon Landry and now Wishart under contract, all of which will start the year in Connecticut. One interesting thing to watch for is if the Islanders will come to an agreement with Brenden Kitchon on an ELC. Kitchon had an excellent year in Spokane (WHL) and at 20 years old should be ready to make the jump to a pro deal.